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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. tube — the underground
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — a container
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. date — the fruit
  15. spring — the season
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com